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SPAIN - "CULTURE WEEK"

1. Information on the School

» Type of school: Primary school (age 6 to 12)

» Number of pupils: 93         Number of teachers: 8

» Specific School Educational Policies concerning equal opportunities:

The school has special status. The criteria for being granted "special school" status is based on the learning and social requirements of the pupils and their families and the social conditions of the school district.

» Social characteristics of environment:

The school is situated in the outlying districts of a town with a population of approximately 2,000 people. The housing was built in the 1970s in order to provide for the population that had moved north from southern parts of the country for economic reasons in the course of internal migration in Spain. Today, new migrants mainly from Morocco, Senegal and South America live in this area of town. Inhabitants are mostly working class and speak Spanish, not Catalan.

2. Reasons for the Activity

» The activity was directed at: Parents and pupils

» Who managed the activity: Teachers and the Parents' association

» Date and duration of development of the Culture Week:

The activity started in the year 2000 and since then has been carried out for one week every year.

» Methodology and Strategies:

Activities which took place this year and which are most important concerning the aims of the study:

  1. Multi-cultural afternoon snack.
  2. Workshops on traditional make-up and jewellery.
  3. Exhibition of costumes and jewellery from other countries, an exhibition for which parents brought along typical items from their countries of origin.
  4. Activities to promote respect for nature.
  5. Exploring Girona.
  6. Workshop and discussion for parents.
  7. Parents in the classroom.
  8. A Catalan literature event (with a literature competition for the pupils at the same time).

3. Development of the Activty

» Why did the Culture Week begin?

The event was developed in order to work with the children's cultures and backgrounds, to show that they are respected and at the same time convey to them the value of diversity. The idea of carrying out the Culture Week was first discussed among the EAP (the assessment team of school psychologists) as a way to work with the pupils' different cultures.

» What was the aim of the activity?

General aims: to increase the different cultural groups' knowledge about each other, so that they experience diversity. To work on the issue of exclusion and isolation that some pupils may be experiencing.

» Types of discrimination worked on: Ethnic origin

4. Results

» What has improved as a result of this activity?

The activity was designed to improve relations and cooperation between families from different backgrounds. The activity was perceived as helping to undermine negative stereotypes and create a more integrated social network. The strategies proposed by the school for these purposes were cultural exchange between the different ethnic groups present at the school and improved understanding between the representatives of these cultures and the population in the district. The "Multi-Cultural Afternoon Snack" was designed to support such an exchange.
In principle, these activities can be successfully used to celebrate diversity. Yet the practical results from these activities must be analysed in greater detail in order to determine whether any changes in participants' attitudes occur in the long term.